Type 1 Writes - Diabetes Blog
  • About Me
  • About This Blog
  • Contact Me
  • Speaking and Writing

Pump breaks

The First Three Years on an Insulin Pump.

May 16, 2019 by Frank 3 Comments

Today marks three years since I first began using an insulin pump.

I can still remember just how excited I was for that initial clinic appointment. I had the feeling of somewhat ‘joining the fold’ with so many other pump users in the DOC. I also knew that I had so much riding on this, feeling as though it were my last chance to get on top of diabetes.

I initially wanted to go on a pump because I wanted better numbers. I felt like I owed it to myself to at least try it. I was also tempted by the promise of more even basal coverage. I never felt as though I could get my Lantus dose quite right.

In hindsight, I wasn’t really putting a lot of thought or effort into my (spontaneous) food and insulin dosing decisions at the time. I didn’t have a very good understanding of how insulin works. When I started on my pump, in some ways I was also learning some of what I should have learned a lot sooner.

There were a lot more variables in play when I started using a pump. Basal rates need to be configured, carbohydrate ratios need to be set, infusion sets replaced and insulin cartridges refilled. In many ways, moving to a pump was like learning diabetes all over again. I definitely lost my patience and got overwhelmed more than once.

The results didn’t come overnight. It probably took me three months to become completely comfortable pumping insulin, and at least six months to see my first sign of improvement. Three years later I never seem to stop learning new things when it comes to diabetes.

It is much, much easier to go low on a pump. Insulin needs to be adjusted or carbs consumed for something as simple as a walk around the block. I distinctly remember having to completely change the way I thought around insulin dosing during physical activity, or else I’ve found myself going low, low, low.

Pump breaks are okay. I’ve taken three lengthy breaks from memory over the past three years. Those breaks stemmed from a mixture of pump fatigue, and also from frustration when diabetes wasn’t playing along as nicely as I’d have hoped. Diabetes is extremely monotonous, and those changes to the way I managed were extremely refreshing.

The same level of management can be obtained using Multiple Daily Injections. It wasn’t until I began pumping that I truly began learning about blood sugars and insulin, and moving away from the spontaneously-eat-and-guess-the-insulin-dose. After transferring those skillsets to MDI during my pump breaks, I now know that the same level of management is possible.

My insulin pump has to work for me. My pump works for me when I know that I don’t have to constantly babysit it, or live in anticipation of something going wrong all the time. It works when I’m using manual infusion sets that don’t require insertion devices. It works when I’m using angled sets, that don’t kink so easily on my lean body. It also works because I can largely see what’s going on through the tubing and around the infusion site on my skin. If it didn’t work for me, I wouldn’t still be using it today.

I can still remember my diabetes educator stopping me in my tracks three and a half years ago and telling me that an insulin pump would not make managing diabetes any easier.

Today, a pump offers me more convenience as I go about my day. I like being able to give my insulin at the push of a button, without having to stop and lift up my shirt and pull out a needle and put it away again. I like having basal rates and profiles that can be customised around my life: such as when I want to eat, when I want to get to bed, when I have to go to work and when I want to go for a walk. I like that added level of precision.

While a pump has definitely helped me to ‘realise’ my potential, my diabetes educator was right. A pump hasn’t made diabetes any easier. It’s not a substitute for all the hard work I’ve put in to get the results. Today, I quite honestly see an insulin pump as my preference in insulin delivery.

A preference that’s definitely improved the quality of my life.

Like This Post? Share It!

  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Share on Tumblr

Like this:

Like Loading...
Posted in: Insulin Pumps, Multiple Daily Injections Tagged: Injections, Insulin Pump, MDI, Multiple Daily Injections, Pump breaks, Shifting from Injections to an Insulin Pump, Starting on an insulin pump

ABOUT ME

Hi, I'm Frank. Welcome to my blog about life with type 1 diabetes.

RECEIVE NEW POSTS BY E-MAIL

FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK

Type 1 Writes

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER

Tweets by FrankSita

RECENT COMMENTS

  • Tony Sangster on Fifteenth lap around the sun.
  • Review: The First Year on Control IQ – Type 1 Writes - Wellness Wealth Craft on A Review of Dexcom G6
  • infofeb9155d4f6 on Holi-daze
  • infofeb9155d4f6 on Holi-daze
  • infofeb9155d4f6 on Review: The First Year on Control IQ

THE ARCHIVES

  • May 2025 (1)
  • January 2024 (1)
  • January 2023 (1)
  • April 2021 (2)
  • February 2021 (3)
  • January 2021 (6)
  • December 2020 (4)
  • November 2020 (2)
  • October 2020 (3)
  • September 2020 (1)
  • August 2020 (4)
  • July 2020 (9)
  • June 2020 (6)
  • May 2020 (7)
  • April 2020 (6)
  • March 2020 (3)
  • February 2020 (2)
  • January 2020 (8)
  • December 2019 (6)
  • November 2019 (7)
  • October 2019 (6)
  • September 2019 (6)
  • August 2019 (10)
  • July 2019 (6)
  • June 2019 (7)
  • May 2019 (7)
  • April 2019 (4)
  • February 2019 (3)
  • January 2019 (3)
  • December 2018 (7)
  • November 2018 (9)
  • October 2018 (10)
  • September 2018 (10)
  • August 2018 (12)
  • July 2018 (12)
  • June 2018 (10)
  • May 2018 (10)
  • April 2018 (11)
  • March 2018 (6)
  • February 2018 (10)
  • January 2018 (10)
  • December 2017 (10)
  • November 2017 (10)
  • October 2017 (5)
  • September 2017 (10)
  • August 2017 (13)
  • July 2017 (13)
  • June 2017 (6)
  • May 2017 (13)
  • April 2017 (8)
  • March 2017 (11)
  • February 2017 (8)
  • January 2017 (10)
  • December 2016 (6)
  • November 2016 (11)
  • October 2016 (8)
  • September 2016 (9)
  • August 2016 (14)
  • July 2016 (14)
  • June 2016 (14)
  • May 2016 (21)
  • April 2016 (17)
  • March 2016 (14)
  • February 2016 (16)
  • January 2016 (16)
  • December 2015 (13)
  • November 2015 (17)
  • October 2015 (19)
  • September 2015 (19)
  • August 2015 (18)
  • July 2015 (20)
  • June 2015 (18)
  • May 2015 (14)
  • April 2015 (4)
  • March 2015 (1)

CATEGORIES

  • Continuous Glucose Monitors (17)
  • Dealing with Diabetes (112)
  • Diabetes Advocacy (88)
  • Diabetes and Emotions (38)
  • Diabetes and Food (58)
  • Diabetes and Foot Care (1)
  • Diabetes and Healthcare Professionals (51)
  • Diabetes and the Festive Season (17)
  • Diabetes and the Online Community (64)
  • Diabetes and Travel (41)
  • Diabetes at Work (11)
  • Diabetes Blog Week (15)
  • Diabetes Burnout (25)
  • Diabetes Gear (8)
  • Diabetes Musings (316)
  • Diabetes Tech (55)
  • Diagnosis (25)
  • Glucose Monitoring (21)
  • Hypos (22)
  • Insulin Pumps (81)
  • Multiple Daily Injections (35)
  • Peer Support (24)
  • Physical Activity (5)
  • Studying With Diabetes (1)
  • T1 Talk (3)
  • Talking About Diabetes (2)

Copyright © 2025 Type 1 Writes - Diabetes Blog.

Lifestyle WordPress Theme by themehit.com

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
%d bloggers like this: